Check out Mandy's interview in new issue of Lucky Magazine on stands now!
 

Oh, how I love the East Coast - especially this time of year...  Came here for about a week to do some writing, see some friends and a few shows in NYC and Boston.  Mike Viola played Joe's this past Friday and was just insanely amazing as usual.  Then we headed up to Boston on Saturday to see him and my other favorite person on the planet, Lori McKenna, play a show together at the Lizard Lounge.  Mike had asked me if I wanted to join him for a few songs and since he's been on the road for the past month and we hadn't gotten the chance to revel in playing them lately, I figured why not??  So...  thanks to my newfound friend (who I still haven't met), SOOZ, there are a few videos posted on Youtube...  Check them out.  If anything, I am hoping they are as fun to watch as it was to just get up and play them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9K75zPLImk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wecUGpTCJvA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YESExZ5Ma6c

...LA bound in the next day or two to really get ready for the recording of these songs and more as well as diving into a few other new projects.  Sending my love to all...please  keep the feedback coming.  Hope you are all enjoying life....

xo

MM

These last two Saturdays playing Hotel Cafe were amazing.  Really.  I have never really done anything so off-the-cuff and raw and I have to say it really is one of the liberating and humbling things I have done in the recent past.  Viola and I just have a comfort zone and I feel like I've been playing with him for MUCH longer than our tenure of two months working together.  To play songs these songs out of which some still have some more work still to be done is really a learning experience.  Feedback from friends, the audience etc all really puts some perspective that you might not get sitting on a couch with a notebook on your lap.  Anyway, just want to thank everyone for coming out.  We're gonna be doing some more of this in the coming months and I will definitely let you know in advance.

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Onto other things of note....  beyond honored to be able to be a part of the Stand Up To Cancer event this Friday, September 5.  As I'm sure most of you know by now, this whole thing is groundbreaking and Laura Zisken and company need to be rewarded tenfold for their gigantic efforts in putting this together.  Obviously, we all hope you will all be watching....

 

The Chuck Liddell/Rashad Evans fight will have me there in full throttle. I am so ridiculously psyched to be heading out to see these guys - not to mention seeing Rich Franklin who is one of the coolest people I have met.  It might not get any better...

 

Said goodbye to our summer house in upstate NY... counting the days til Memorial Day '09 to get back!

 

Hope you are all well and had a great long weekend.  Be happy and thankful...

 

xo

MM

So, I'm back from a week and half of not just being ON the East Coast but AWAY from Joni....  It was a good time in Upstate New York with some great friends and my brother, Kyle.  Just got back to LA and am going to work out a bunch of new material for the Hotel Cafe show this coming Saturday...  wait...THIS Saturday???!!!  Yikes!  Actually, Mike Viola and I have such a good thing going, it's gonna be a blast regardless of how new and rough some stuff may be.  I'm really hoping you all can come out and be the first to hear some new material.  We are really in a groove and this is still such a work in progress.  But nonetheless, the live thing is still so important and I can't wait any longer to gig - especially at such a great, warm and musical place as Hotel Cafe.  Really hoping to see some familiar faces.  The info is posted on the site.

 

Best to you all...hope the Summer has been a good one and that you are enjoying the remains of it...

xo

MM

I'm going to be doing 2 Hotel Cafe shows with Mike Viola next month!!

9pm August 23 and 30

Come check it out!

xoxo

MM

I just confirmed 2 dates with Stevie Nicks! I wanted to let everyone know as soon as possible so I don't have all the details yet but I will get them up here as soon as they come in!!  

6/22 Boston @ Bank of America Pavilion

6/25 Toledo @ Zoo Amphitheatre

Greetings from Dan Undah!  Once again, I have to say this country  
blows me away in EVERY way.  We just got to Adelaide after spending  
three full days in Perth.  Amazing.  We played two shows with Ben Lee  
opening for him before he took the stage in front of a 65-piece  
orchestra.  Words can't explain how brilliant he is and how genius the  
arrangements were of his songs.  He had the crowds in the palm of his  
hands.
It was a bit awkward to step on stage here for the first time here in  
years - especially with my own music and (and no dancers that I'm sure  
a bulk of the audience might have been expecting!)  We are touring   
barebones-style with just Loren on piano and Chaves on guitar.  It's  
actually really great sometimes to not have the pressure of the full  
band but I can't wait to get back down here with the set-up we toured  
with in the States.
For the next week, we'll be doing a short intimate set opening for  
Kelly Clarkson down here and then off to Manila to play one show there  
on the 12th.

Happy to come home after this trip and really dig into some film  
projects i've had my eyes on now that everything is back up in  
motion.  I am so ready to get back to work in terms of writing my next  
record, recording some demos and hopefully locking in a compelling and  
challenging film project.

Hope you are all well and enjoying life.  I'll post some pics this  
week from down here.   Hoping to see you all soon ...

xx
MM